Monday, February 25, 2013

À Fleur de Peau: Guerlain Eau de Lingerie

I'm currently in the midst of what can only be described as a fragrance binge. I will spare you the details of my life long love affair with perfume that I only just recently shared in a post here, but needless to say this adoration of all things beautifully perfumed is nothing new. Nevertheless, my eyes have only recently been opened to the incredible world of perfume that exists just beyond the readily available fragrances that grace the perfume counters where I live. I've been sniffing samples and studying all aspects of perfume like you wouldn't believe, and—of course—reading and discovering blogs that write extensively about fragrance.

One of my favorite fragrance loving bloggers, Jane Daly of Daly Beauty, recently shared her new treasure, Guerlain's limited edition Eau de Lingerie. I rarely purchase bottles of perfume without experiencing them against my skin first, but given the exclusivity of Guerlain's new launch I ordered the instant I discovered that it was available on the Saks Fifth Avenue website (unfortunately the perfume has since sold out online).

Guerlain released Eau de Lingerie on the 14th of February in unison with an exclusive collection of lingerie designed with French lingerie brand, Absolutely Pôm. Intended to be a "fabric spray" of sorts meant to be used in unison with a woman's more intimate apparel, this perfume screams subtle allure in the same way a silk teddy might: sexy, bearing just the right amount of skin without being too much.

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Of Eau de Lingerie, Guerlain says the following: "Close to the skin, in the very place where fragrance settles, our
lingerie lies... and this inspired Guerlain to conceive of an innovative
beauty ritual. A delicate new fragrance to spray onto lingerie,
creating a special moment of sensuality in which women are invited to
indulge..." The beauty of Eau de Lingerie is that it has been designed to blend seamlessly with other fragrances, a quality that makes it that much more like the true scent that lingers close to the skin of a woman. I know, a bit racy, but isn't capturing the true musk of a woman the aim of this fragrance, released in a series of perfumes fittingly dubbed Elixirs Charnels?

Eau de Lingerie is an incredibly sophisticated powdery fragrance—a niche in my collection of perfumes previously waiting to be filled—comprised of notes of iris, rose, vanilla, sandalwood, white musk and ambrette. Though I would indeed consider applying this to my knickers, I've been indulging in a more traditional application on my wrists and on my décolleté. The powdery aspects of Eau de Lingerie are more evident against my skin immediately after application, and following the initial dry down it's sandalwood that remains close to my skin along with the characteristic pop of brightness that make Guerlain fragrances so magical.

For fellow Francophones, I found this article on French Vogue to be particularly interesting. Vogue suggests that with the release of their limited Eau de Lingerie, Guerlain is proposing an entirely new way to seduce. I wouldn't dare disagree with such an authority as French Vogue, and I believe they've hit the nail on the head. As many great perfumers have said, at the end of the day it is a woman's perfume that lingers against her skin and it is this magical scent that Guerlain has captured in their alluring and subtly sexy Eau de Lingerie ... a new favorite of mine.

Eau de Lingerie retails for USD $98—if you can find a bottle, snap it up! Otherwise this masterpiece will be available at Printemps Haussmann along with its accompanying Absolutely Pôm lingerie collection.